Convertible power stacker

ABSTRACT

A document stacker at the exit of a processing device for business or other forms which accommodates automatic sequential vertical stacking of the forms, and is readily convertible to conventionally and horizontally stack larger size documents. Power stacking means are provided during the vertical stacker mode of operation of the invention to drive the lower edge of each form into the stack.

[451 Jan. 19741 CONVERTIBLE POWER STACKER John A. Thiel, Wheeling, Ill.

Assignee: Bell and Howell Company, Chicago,

Filed: Mar. 16, 1972 Appl. No.: 235,141]

Inventor:

US. Cl 271/80, 214/6 D, 214/7, 271/86 Int. Cl B65h 29/22, B65h 31/06 Field of Search 271/80, 86 R, 86 ME, 271/87; 214/6 D, 7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1967 Davis 271/86 ME Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant ExaminerJames W. Miller Attorney-James M. Wetzel et al.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT A document stacker at the exit of a processing device for business or other forms which accommodates automatic sequential vertical stacking of the forms, and is readily convertible to conventionally and horizontally stack larger size documents. Power stacking means are provided during the vertical stacker mode of operation of the invention to drive the lower edge of each form into the stack.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures CONVERTIBLE POWER STACKER This invention relates to apparatus for high speed stacking of documents or forms and more particularly relates to a document stacker which accomodates sequential automatic vertical stacking of documents as well as conventional horizontal float type of stacking.

The proper stackingof documentary forms, such as checks or other business forms, is becoming increasingly more important .as machinery is developed for more rapidly processing date carrying documents. For example, documents exiting from a microfilm recording device must be sequentially and automatically stacked with speed and accuracy. Present stacking machinery, however, is not capable of handling small documents, such as checks, which are preferably stacked vertically, aswell as larger data forms, which must be stacked horizontally. Also, present stacking devices do not provide means for driving the lower edge ofa document to be vertically stacked into position adjacent a -preceeding document. Since data carrying documents come in all sizes, it isadvantageous to have a single stacker which is capable of both vertical and horizontal stacking. Also, by positively driving the lower edge of a document into a vertical stack, the processing equipment with which the stacker is being used is able to handle more documents in a given period of time.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved, high speed stacking apparatus which allows automatic stacking of documents in either an upright position or the conventional horizontal position.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a vertical stacking device wherein the lower edge of the document being stacked is driven into the stack.

According to the present invention, a pair of nip forming rollers are provided at the exit of a document processing apparatus to eject each document in an upright position. A stop means directly above the nip rollers limits the extent of the documents upward travel. As a document strikes the stop means, its lower edge is thrust outwardly and downwardly by the action of the outermost nip roller. The document becomes trapped in an upright position-between the outermost roller and a backstop which is spring biased toward the outermost roller. The backstop travels horizontally along a track, and the power stacking operation continues until the backstop reaches a predetermined limit, at which point the operation of the document processing equipment and the stacker ceases.

To perform conventional, horizontal, floating stacking, a pair of retractable stacking rollers are provided which engage suitable drive rollers for driving the document horizontally away from the stop means after the document exits from the pair of nip rollers. The horizontally foating documents are caught in a basket" formed by locking the backstop in a position at the end of the track.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is aschematic diagram of a. document processing apparatus employing the convertible power stacking device of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stacking device of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a document or form processing apparatus such as a microfilm recorder is indicated by the numeral 10. The recorder includes a document feeder 12 including conveyor rollers 14 for sequentially passing documents to input module 16. Conventional conveyor roller means 18 in module 16 transmit the documents into an optical module 20 and through a photo area 22 therein where a photographic record of each document is made by the recording device. Drive means including sets of rollers 24 advance the docu ments vertically to a count sensing device 26 and upward to a pair of opposed lower drive or nip rollers comprising outer roller 28 and inner roller 30 disposed adjacent exit slot 32 of the microfilm recorder. Suitable power means are provided to drive rollers 28 and 30 in opposite directions.

The stacking mechanism which forms the present invention includes a paper stop 34 attached to the housing of recorder 10 which extends horizontally for a short distance outwardly above drive rollers 28 and 30. Stop 34 is adjustable and is ideally positioned such that the vertical distance between outer roller 28 and stop 34 approximately equals the height of the document to be stacked. The stacking device disclosed herein would perform best with uniform size documents, however, the stacker will also perform well with mixed check sized documents.

The upper surface 36 of recorder 10 includes a platform 38 positioned next to outer roller 28 and extending outwardly to form a surface for receiving documents exiting from recorder 10 through slot 32. Movable upright backstop assembly 40 is slidably mounted on platform 38 by means of wheels 42 riding on an extendable track or rail assembly 44 disposed beneath platform 38. A slot 46 is provided in platform 38 through which upright assembly 40 extends. A spring 48 extends between the housing for recorder 10 and upright assembly 40 which biases upright assembly 40 towards outer roller 28.

A limit switch 50 is provided adjacent track 44 which is tripped when upright assembly 44 moves away from outer roller 28 under the pressure of an increasing stack of documents, as will be explained, and contacts lever 52. Limit switch 50 is preferably operably connected to the control system for recorder 10 whereby activation of limit switch 50 by upright assembly 40 will cause the recorder 10 to cease functioning.

As shown in FIG. 2, track assembly 44 includes a pull-out expandable rail assembly 54 which extends the track 44 upon which upright assembly 40 moves. Detent lock means 56 are provided on upright assembly 40 for locking the upright assembly in any position along track 44 or extendable track 54, thereby enabling the receiving area of the stacking device to accomodate any size of document. Lock 56 holds upright assembly 40 in place against the tension of spring 48.

in operation for vertically stacking documents, the documents exiting from recorder 10 through slot 32 are engaged between oppositely rotating drive rollers 28 and 30, and transported vertically to adjustable paper stop 34. As the upper edge of the document contacts stop 34, its lower edge contacts the surface of outer drive roller 28, since the distance between stop 34 and roller 28 is adjusted to approximate the height of the document. Outer roller 28, which rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, moves the bottom edge of the document up and over the roller center, whereby the roller pulls the document horizontally and downwardly. The document is positively driven into the space between upright assembly 40 and roller 28, and pressure against the roller is maintained by spring biased upright assembly 40.

Each sucessive document as it exits from slot 32 impacts against stop 34 and is thrust downward by roller 28 in the same manner as the preceeding document. Upright assembly 40 continues to maintain sufficient pressure by means of spring 48 as it moves away from roller 28 under the influence of continuously stacked documents. This pressure suffices to hold the documents in a vertical stack.

Upright assembly 40 moves in a direction away from roller 28 on track assembly 44 as additional documents are stacked. To provide a practical and safe stack height, should the operator overfeed microfilm recorder l0, limit switch 50 is located adjacent track 44 whereby when upright assembly 40 reaches a safe stack limit, lever 52 trips and switch 50 functions to stop the document feeder mechanisms of recorder 10. When the stacked documents are removed, upright assembly 40 returns to a position adjacent roller 28 under the force of spring 48, allowing the document feeder to start operation again as lever 52 moves to its original position.

An important feature of the present invention is to provide a document stacking device which is capable ofstacking documents in a conventional horizontal disposition, as well as accomplishing vertical stacking as described above. Horizontal stacking is desirable when the recorder is processing documents which are too large to vertically power stack, or are of such extreme size variations that it is impractical to power stack. To this end, a pair of conventional or upper drive roller means 58 are rotatably supported in the housing of recorder 10, and disposed above drive rollers 28 and 30 t such that a portion of the curcumferential surface of rollers 58 is exposed beyond the housing. Suitable power means are provided to drive rollers 58 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2.

A pair of retractable conventional stacking roller means 60 are rotatably supported by means of pins 62 on one end of shafts 64. Shafts 64 are pivotally mounted at their opposite ends to the housing of recorder 10 adjacent the terminus ends of roller 28. As shown in FIG. 2, shafts 64 are pivotally movable from a first retracted position to a second operative position whereby rollers 60 engage the circumferential surface of upper drive rollers 58 at a point below the central axis of the rollers 58 such that the line of tangency between rollers 58 and 60 extends along an angular plane which bypasses stop 34, for purposes to be explained. In this position, rollers 58 and 60 comprise means for guiding each successive document from a vertical to a horizontal position.

In operation for horizontal stacking, upright assembly 40 is manually moved back along track 44 to a position approximating the horizontal width of the documents to be stacked. Expandable pull-out rail assembly 54 allows upright 40 to be positioned beyond the edge of the housing of recorder 10 for accommodating large documents. Detent lock 56 is moved downward to lock upright assembly 40 in place, preventing the upright assembly from returning to lower roller 28 under the tension of spring 48.

Shafts 64 are pivoted upward from their retracted position, and rollers 60 engage drive rollers 58 as previously described. As document exits from recorder 10 through slot 32, it is driven upward by rollers 28 and 30, and subsequently engaged between rollers 58 and 60, whereupon the document is initially driven upwards and outwards substantially along the line of tangency between rollers 58 and 60, and deflected away from stop 34. The document then attains a horizontal position and floats downward onto the surface of platform 38, or extendable rail assembly 54, into the basket formed by upright assembly 40, which acts as a backstop and prevents the document from floating horizontally beyond the edge of platform 38 or rail assembly 54. Due to the position of rollers 58 and 60 above rollers 28 and 30, a stacking height above the machine is provided whereby a substantial number of documents may be horizontally stacked before exceeding the capabilities of the device.

To return the stacking device to the vertical power stacker mode, shafts 64 are pivoted to their retracted position, lock 56 is released, upright assembly 40 is moved to a position adjacent roller 28 under the force of spring 48, and expandable rail assembly 54 is retracted into position beneath platform 38.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims: I claim:

1. In an apparaus for stacking forms:

stop means engageable by the leading edge of each form;

drive means for advancing the forms vertically and successively toward contact with said stop means; means porviding a surface for stacking said forms in side-by-side relation; and

guide means selectively movable from a first inoperative position at which engagement with said forms is avoided to a second operative position in the path of travel of forms advancing from said drive means at which engagement with said forms is effected, whereby said forms contact said stop means and are fed to said stacking surface in a vertical position when said selectively movable guide means is in its first inoperative position and said forms are deflected away from said stop means and are fed to said stacking surface in a horizontal position when said guide means is in its second operative position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes opposed oppositely driven roller means for successively engaging each form wherein one of said rollers drives the lower edge of each form downwardly into said stack when said guide means is in said first position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said drive means includes a first pair of opposed oppositely driven roller means for successively engaging and advancing each form and second roller means spacially disposed from said first roller means; and

6 said guide means includes third roller means tangenspring means yieldably forcing said upright assembly tially flgag h Said Second roller means toward said roller means whereby said forms are when said guide means are in said second position whereby said second and third roller means successively engage said forms as they advance from said 5 first pair of roller means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 including:

maintained in a stack between said upright assembly and said roller means. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said upright assembly means is alternately adapted to be fixedly posivariable positionable upright assembly means Slid tioned on said stacking surface for receiving forms adably attached to said surface for receiving and Vanced by Said apparatus when Said guide means is in stacking said forms after said forms engage said 10 531d Second POSIIIOH- stop means; 

1. In an apparaus for stacking forms: stop means engageable by the leading edge of each form; drive means for advancing the forms vertically and successively toward contact with said stop means; means porviding a surface for stacking said forms in side-byside relation; and guide means selectively movable from a first inoperative position at which engagement with said forms is avoided to a second operative position in the path of travel of forms advancing from said drive means at which engagement with said forms is effected, whereby said forms contact said stop means and are fed to said stacking surface in a vertical position when said selectively movable guide means is in its first inoperative position and said forms are deflected away from said stop means and are fed to said stacking surface in a horizontal position when said guide means is in its second operative position.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes opposed oppositely driven roller means for successively engaging each form wherein one of said rollers drives the lower edge of each form downwardly into said stack when said guide means is in said first position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said drive means includes a first pair of opposed oppositely driven roller means for successively engaging and advancing each form and second roller means spacially disposed from said first roller means; and said guide means includes third roller means tangentially engageable with said second roller means when said guide means are in said second position whereby said second and third roller means successively engage said forms as they advance from said first pair of roller means.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 including: a variable positionable upright assembly means slidably attached to said surface for receiving and stacking said forms after said forms engage said stop means; spring means yieldably forcing said upright assembly toward said roller means whereby said forms are maintained in a stack between said upright assembly and said roller means.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said upright assembly means is alternately adapted to be fixedly positioned on said stacking surface for receiving forms advanced by said apparatus when said guide means is in said second position. 